Birding #3: Gilsland Farm, and why I bird

Gilsland Farm, the headquarters of the Maine Audubon (to my knowledge), is always a peaceful place to enjoy walks in nature. Of course, plenty of birds call the land home too. This is another location that I visit less during the winter, but in the pursuit of this hobby I decided to stop by and see how the wildlife was doing.

A staple of the farm's fields is wild turkey: they can be found in pairs or groups of ten or more, and are generally not too afraid of people as they wander the area. Here, the turkey also enjoy perching up in a tree right next to one of the main pathways; I could only photograph one at a time given how bright the sky was behind them:

Just past this sight I encountered my first fellow birder, an older man with a much-higher-quality camera and lens. We waved.

The trail then reached a fork, with one path the common choice for my wife and I while the other meanders into some woods and approaches the water (a small ocean inlet with the interstate on the other side). I leaned towards exploring the uncommon path, but before heading down my ears caught sound of a woodpecker close by. I believe it was a downy woodpecker given the lack of a red spot on its head:

Reaching the water, I was disappointed to only see some mallards far out where the low tide ended. Perhaps I would be more lucky in the summer when birds choose to hunt the expanded beach for food.

My excursion was nearly uneventful otherwise. The cold, bare trees and layer of snow and ice across the shrubs and trail were probably significant signs that wildlife would not care to be roaming around today.

Near the primary field and parking lot, I saw my birding friend again by the farm's boundary. At this point I could also hear a lot of chirping; was somebody throwing a party? I crept slowly down a path towards the fanfare, both to be sure I did not scare any potentially nearby birds and to allow my friend time to take his photos and move on.

The area turned out to be where the smaller birds put up home for the winter. A few birdhouses were occupied; the farm's few solar panels nearby also appeared to make a home for some. I will share just a few photos of the birdies I saw to avoid turning this page intoa filmroll; I believe these are a Junco, a Sparrow, and two warblers (TODO make better ID's).

The hobby of birding

I enjoy photography and I enjoy seeing wildlife, so it makes sense to combine the two. There is a sport to be made out of locating birds, perfecting your zoom, focus, and exposure, and having a quick hand to do so before your target disappears. A lucky shot with the right framing feels like a triumph and can be put on the wall with a story to tell.

I also aspire to find friends and community, which birding groups could certainly provide. The Maine Audubon actually hosts birding excursions, with a weekly meet-up at the farm to take stock of the fields. From their photos, it is clear that this type of birding relies on binoculars and observation -- not something to bring a camera and 300mm lens to.

Birding in this sense of the hobby has its own merit: a quiet stand-off between the birds and yourself. You focus on observing the birds' behavior and appearance, indulging in their activities and maybe taking note of it in a small journal. You grow to understand the birds, I believe to an extent beyond what you can gather in the pursuit of a few "prize" photos.

So, I ordered a pair of 8x42 binoculars off of Ebay a few days ago. I would like to give this (probably more "true") take on the hobby. At the same time I am unsure about giving up photo-birding as it would make a heavy hit for this blog; for now, I think I will adventure with both tools equipped and try to make the best of both worlds.